DE 10 2008 012 925 A1 describes a plug connector assembly like the plug connector assembly set forth above in the Technical Field.
A joining force composed of contact force components is applied to connect together the first and second plug connector housings of the connector assembly. First contact forces are applied initially between the first and second plug contacts. To establish a secure electrical connection between the first plug contacts with the second plug contacts, the first (or alternatively the second) plug contacts are introduced into the corresponding connector housing with spring pressure (i.e., first (or alternatively the second) plug contacts are resilient). Second contact forces press housing parts of the connector housings against a seal. This compresses the seal to produce proper sealing. Furthermore, friction forces that arise mechanically between the connector housings can be kept small by a low tolerance design of the housing parts.
The sum of the contact forces increases with the amount of plug contacts to be connected in a connector assembly. Thus, mechanical means are provided in plug connector assemblies, especially in four-pole plug-in connector assemblies. This is illustrated, for example, in DE 101 28 183 B4 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,778) by a lever mechanism for connecting four-pole plug-in connector components. Since the connection of the plug contacts takes place concurrently with the compression of the seal, the forces applied during the joining process are considerable. The longest possible lever arm length is therefore required for comfortable handling. This results in a relatively bulky and cumbersome lever mechanism.
Alternatively, so-called zero-force (zero-insertion force) plug connectors have been developed. DE 10 2005 040 952 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 7,232,323) describes an example of a zero-force plug connector. In such connectors the contact forces are generated only in the final part of the joining path by sliding clamping sleeves onto female contacts. As such, no contact forces are applied over most of the joining path. Radial compression of the seal takes place through the joining of the plug connector housing and coincides with the phase of sliding the clamping sleeves. This final joining phase requires a significant actuation force, which is especially difficult in four-pole plug-in connectors.
Another possibility includes compressing the connector housing in a first phase of joining the connector housing, and only afterwards, in a second joining phase, actuating the clamping sleeves of the zero-force plug connector. The sealing force and the contact forces of the electrical contacts are thereby applied sequentially and are thus decoupled from one another. In the above mentioned DE 10 2008 012 925 B4 such a plug-in connector has been described in which a clamping sleeve mechanism (e.g., a collet mechanism) can be actuated by a force-amplifying slider.
In the plug connector assemblies of DE 10 2005 040 952 A1 and DE 10 2008 012 925 B4 the use of so-called zero-force plug connectors is intended. Zero-force plug connectors are quite costly due to their relatively complex clamping mechanism.